James Gunn's dog Ozu has a real problem with seeing himself on camera But it turns out that Ozu himself has a specific reaction to seeing himself on screen with his excitable nature coming out whenever he sees Krypto "This is my dog Ozu barking at the screen," Gunn explains in a video posted to social media showing Ozu having a bit of a fit while watching the now familiar trailer scene where Krypto tries to play with an injured Superman only to finally save him by taking him back to the Fortress of Solitude "Krypto was actually 3D modeled after Ozu's body," Gunn continues "We 3D captured Ozu and turned him into Krypto Ozu and Krypto #Superman #OzutheDog pic.twitter.com/ycjSUHYcC9May 5, 2025 Gunn previously revealed that Ozu was the inspiration for Krypto explaining how he adopted Ozu (who is presumably named after Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu) with the pup's difficult circumstances inspiring Gunn's inclusion of Krypto in the movie who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman," Gunn stated back in October who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings "He immediately came in & destroyed our home our furniture - he even ate my laptop," Gunn explained "It took a long time before he would even let us touch him how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?' - and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life." Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025. You can also keep updated with every other upcoming DC movie and TV show heading our way at that link. George MarstonSocial Links NavigationI've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011 I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego you will then be prompted to enter your display name Posted on May 05, 2025 by Neil Cole Ozu and Krypto #Superman #OzutheDog pic.twitter.com/ycjSUHYcC9 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Today's print edition Home Delivery Tucked away in a quiet and unassuming area of Ozu a historic castle town in Ehime Prefecture is an unusual house — with an even more unusual owner the building is being given a new lease of life by an artist drawing inspiration from the cultural practices of his ancestors who once lived there an artist and social entrepreneur based in Ozu and Tokyo is a 14th-generation descendant of the Kato clan the samurai family that once ruled over this part of Ehime.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); he used the proceeds from his art to purchase the 180-year-old building the ownership of which was no longer in his family when he was alerted by a member of the local community that it had been put up for sale In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Superman may not be getting a new TV spot during this year's Super Bowl but it's been confirmed that we will see something new from the DCU reboot this Sunday during the Puppy Bowl Director James Gunn has now shared a video alongside his adorable rescue dog Ozu There's no new footage from the movie here but the Puppy Bowl spot will almost certainly feature some Krypto-focused shots that weren't in the first trailer Here's what Gunn had to say about the Man of Steel's four-legged friend - whose appearance is partially based on Ozu's - in a recent interview "You'll see in the movie that Krypto probably comes off as a better dog in the trailer than he is in the movie You love him because he's a dog and how can you not Superman stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner Sara Sampaio is on board as Lex's assistant/lover Eve Teschmacher Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell will play "Ma" and "Pa" Kent and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie "And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted earlier this year when filming concluded "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment and hard work have brought this project to life I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful." You can check out an updated synopsis for the movie below James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind." In a touching story shared on social media Gunn wrote how "Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life." James Gunn takes to social media to let it be known that he is not involved with a Superman “Ozu” meme coin that has been launched on the Solana network but neither I nor #OzuTheDog are affiliated with it.” It kind of seems odd Gunn would do that as obviously that would likely increase attention and could scam potential fans I don’t know what it is, but neither I nor #OzuTheDog are affiliated with it. https://t.co/DG6ppG8b35 The link to the site reveals it’s an “Ozu The Dog” meme coin and contains a Solana address which people can use to buy the coin at various exchanges The site features images with James Gunn and his dog who serves as the inspiration for Krypto in Gunn’s Superman movie RELATED:Thunderbolts Review: Fans Might Love It - If They Can Handle the Cringe “Who is Ozu?” states the site which also includes the images of David Corenswet as Superman “$OZU isn’t just another meme coin whose sad journey inspired the creation of Krypto Ozu’s resilience became an inspiration for Gunn The meme coin also claims to be raising funds for Wagmor Pets the nonprofit organization from which James Gunn got his dog the site links to Gunn and Wagmor Pets’ Instagram posts The Ozu meme coin could be a scam but it could very well be legit Recently has seen meme coins associated with Trump and Dave Portnoy pump but then dump meaning they skyrocket in value but then quickly lose their value RELATED:Marvel Reimagining Fantastic Four For Modern MCU Audience the Ozu meme coin has already pumped and dumped Anyone can create a meme coin and name it whatever they want Then you can create a potential fake website Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Tokyo At this longstanding store and cultural centre you can discover the beauty of Japanese washi paper – and try making it yourself The first floor houses a tea shop where you can stock up on paper and calligraphy goods where you can learn how to make washi paper at its frequent workshops The second floor gallery space hosts weekly exhibitions and guest washi craftsmen from around Japan where serious students can sign up for a variety of classes the third floor houses the informative Ozu History Museum which details the many types of washi from various Japanese regions Information is available in English and you can touch and feel the different types of paper and you can bring your paper home with you on the same day Various workshops available. Washi-making classes ¥800 for one A4 sheet of paper; private lessons also available at ¥5,000 each. Workshop time and reservations can be made here. facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramAbout us The quiet films of legendary Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu may be more transgressive than they appear on the surface. © 2014-2025 Cinema Escapist, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All rights reserved. "He was the worst dog you could possibly imagine," Gunn told the crowd at CinemaCon of his pup Ozu 01:19Aha onyonyo, Popu Francis anwụọla dịka ọ gbara afọ iri asatọ na asatọ (88)Ọtụtụ ndị isiala mba dị iche iche nakwa ndị na-eru uju si mba dị iche iche gbakọrọ n'ogige St Peter's Square ụbọchị Satọde 26 Eprel, 2025 iji kwanyere Popu Francis ugwu ikpeazụ. Ebe foto si, Ukrainian Presidential Press Service E burula ozu Popu Francis gawa Santa Maria Maggiore ebe a ga-eli ya dị ụka olili ozu ya bịara na njedebe n'ogige St Peter's Square. A ga-eburu ozu ya si ụzọ Central Rome, Piazza Venezia, Colosseum tupu o ruo Santa Maria Maggiore. Olili ozu Popu Francis n'ime ụlọụka Santa Maria Maggiore, bụ nke agaghị egosi ohanaeze n'agbanyeghị na ọtụtụ mmadụ jupụtara n'ihu ụlọụka ahụ. Onyeisiala Amerịka Donald Trump na onyeisiala Yukren bụ Volodymyr Zelensky ga-enwe ọgbakọ ọzọ taa. Otu onye na-ekwuru gọọmenti Yukren mere ka a mata nke a. Cheta na obi ọchịchị White House kwuru na Trump na Zelensky zutere na St Peter's Basilica tupu emume olili ozu Popu Francis amalite. Ọgbakọ ha ahụ nwere naanị nkeji iri na ise (15), bụ nke ha kwuru na ọ mịtara ezi mkpụrụ. Olili ozu Popu Francis nwụrụ ụbọchị Easter Mọnde 21 Eprel, 2025 na-aga n'ihu ugbua n'ogige St Peter's Square, Vatịkan. N'ozi ọma ya, Kadịnal Giovanni Battista Re kwuru na Popu Francis bụ onye kwenyere na udo na ịhụnanya. Ọtụtụ ndị isiala bịara olili ozu Popu Francis gụnyere Onyeisiala Donald Trump Amerịka, Onyeisiala Volodymyr Zelensky mba Yukren, Nwa eze William mba Ingland nakwa ndị ọzọ. Onyeisiala Trump na Zelensky zutere n'ime St Peter's Basilica tupu emume olili ozu a amalite. Obi ọchịchị Amerịka White House kpọrọ nzute ha abụọ dịka nke mịtara ezi mkpụrụ. Ihe karịrị mmadụ 200,000 na-eru uju bịara ịkwanyere Popu Francis ugwu ikpeazụ tupu e lie ya. Ọ bụ Kadịnal Giovanni Battista Re bụ onyeisi otu ndị Kadinal ga-anọ n'isi ikpe ụka olili ozu Popu Francis. Kadịnal Giovanni Battista gbara afọ 91 bụ si mba Itali. A họpụtara dịka ụkọchukwu n'afọ 1957. Foto gosiri oge Trump na nwunye ya gara hụ akpati ozu Popu Francis. Lee oge Joe Biden chịbụru Amerịka na nwunye rutere ogige St Peter's Square iji kwanyere Popu Francis ugwu ikpeazụ Superman was all the buzz yesterday at Warner Bros stage at CinemaCon 2025 and James Gunn were all in attendance to talk about the upcoming summer blockbuster James Gunn's own dog and the inspiration for Krypto Gunn described his experience with his own dog destroying his stuff and how that played into his thoughts for Superman “Ozu is terrible to anyone who comes near him,” Gunn joked He recalled going to a shelter to rescue the canine: “He kind of looked like my old dog on crack.” He added ‘Now I know what I’m going to do with Superman.'” It's no secret that Gunn used his own dog for inspiration for Krypto Some fans love the filmmaker’s personal touch while others think it's a little self serving and would prefer for Krypto to be more comic accurate Krypto is portrayed as a white Labrador Retriever It seems as if Krypto, while he will definitely help Superman save the day, will serve as a bit of comic relief in the film that Gunn has said has a more serious tone. At CinemaCon, an extended version of the snowy scene in which Superman is injured in the trailer was shown and Krypto's actions are described as “comedic” “The footage starts similarly to the first trailer Krypto playfully jumps on Superman as he grunts in pain Krypto comedically drags Superman around the tundra as a crystal structure grows in the distance and creates two doors that glow with Superman’s logo — it’s the fortress of solitude Automatons greet Superman and pick him up to place him in a healing chamber powered by the sun He tries to thank the automatons but they stress they do not have sentience The clip transitions into the main Superman trailer but ends with Superman leaving the fortress of solitude almost leaving Krypto behind before his pet whimpers He allows Krypto to tag along as he playfully charges and bites at Superman’s shoes as the clip ends." While Krypto definitely could be a good source for comedic relief within the movie there are bound to be those that want Krypto the just be Superman's friend and not a prankster Krypto is a welcome presence to just about every DC fan We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. Learn more. Posted in: Max, Movies, TBS, TV | Tagged: , , will be sharing a special sneak peek at Superman during Puppy Bowl XXI on Sunday It's not like you needed another excuse to check out Puppy Bowl XXI on Sunday and truTV (and streaming on Max and Discovery+) We're talking about a three-hour annual mainstay that features 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states and two countries as they compete in one of the cutest competitions of the year we were treated to a trailer that dropped a huge surprise – along with the canine competition we're going to be getting a special sneak peek at writer/director James Gunn's David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult-starring Superman. Gunn and his pup will be on hand when the Krypto Super Play award is given out – with Gunn delivering a special message to fans looking forward to the feature film's July 2025 release Here's a look at the promo for Puppy Bowl XXI that was released earlier today: Gunn responded on social media for being accused of "overlooking origin stories" while also calling out DC Studios for focusing on "niche characters to headline their own movies like Sgt Rock or Swamp Thing" and not focusing enough on characters they believe are better suited to attract a "general audience." When DC Studios' "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters' was unveiled in 2023 we learned that a Swamp Thing film was planned (with James Mangold attached) rumblings have gotten louder that director Luca Guadagnino (Queer) and Daniel Craig could be reunited for a Sgt And let's not forget the upcoming Mike Flanagan-penned Clayface move that was recently given a green light Gunn isn't looking to tell Batman's and Superman's respective backstories again because we've been down that road many times before ("I'm not telling Batman and Superman's origin stories again because everyone knows them") But in terms of Swamp Thing not being deserving enough for his own film That's a project in development we've actually announced and he's an incredibly well-known character with not only some of the greatest comics of all time but a successful film series and his own TV show something that could be said of only a very small handful of DC characters," Gunn added María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer Lady in the Lake) as Jonathan Kent/"Pa Kent," and Neva Howell (Ghosts of the Ozarks) as Martha Kent/"Ma Kent." Joining them are Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live) as Daily Planet sports editor Steve Lombard The Suicide Squad) as Daily Planet gossip columnist Cat Grant and Christopher McDonald as skilled Daily Planet reporter Ron Troupe – with Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr (from Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2) set to appear along with Alan Tudyk in an undisclosed role Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3) will score the film Pattaya: Ozu Moreira has warned that Japan can only get better after the three-time champions became the first team to book a place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 on Saturday www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_beach_soccer_asian_cup.html/video/acbeachsoccer-|-group-b-saudi-arabia-2-7-japan Pattaya: Head coach Marcelo Mendes was a relieved man after his China PR side gave themselves a fighting chance of progressing to the knockout stage of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 with victory against Iraq on Saturday Pattaya: Thailand’s Komkrit Nanan was the star of the evening as the hosts eked out a thrilling 5-4 victory over a resolute Lebanon side in their second Group A fixture in the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 on Saturday Pattaya: Two-goal hero Mohammed Hajeyah intends to use Saturday’s 4-2 win over India as the springboard for Kuwait to reach the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2025 quarter-finals Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 returned after a four-month break with Matchday 7 on Thursday Saitama: Wataru Endo said Japan can win the FIFA World Cup 2026 after becoming the first team to qualify and the Liverpool ace urged fans to buy into the ambitious target Goyang: Son Heung-min said he "let my teammates down" after Korea Republic were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Oman in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group B tie on Thursday Ho Chi Minh City: Head coach Hong Pham Nguyen praised his players' mental fortitude after Ho Chi Minh City Women's FC staged an incredible comeback to defeat Abu Dhabi Country Club 5-4 in the AFC Women’s Champions League™ 2024/25 quarter-finals on Saturday.  Incheon: New Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women's FC recruit Kim Myeong-jin made an instant impact on her debut delivering a match-winning performance to secure her team a 1-0 victory over the Islamic Republic of Iran’s BAM Khatoon in their AFC Women’s Champions League™ 2024/25 quarter-final on Saturday Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: , , , DC Studios co-CEO and Superman writer/director James Gunn made it clear that he and his pup If you didn't get a chance to check out Puppy Bowl XXI on Sunday then you missed out on a very cool cross-promotion between the canine competition and writer/director James Gunn and DC Studios' David Corenswet Along with a special message for viewers to remind them of the importance of the annual event and the role it plays in the lives of so many pups in need of permanent homes ("Superman's best friend has all the powers of Superman and is as lovable and mischievous as many of the irresistible pups you'll see today") Gunn and Ozu (the inspiration behind Krypto) also sponsored the Krypto Super Play Award and shared a better look at Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern we live in a time when no good deed isn't met by someone looking to either take a metaphorical dump on it or try to make a buck off of it So when a site popped up using Gunn and Ozu's story and likenesses posting about how "***** isn't just another mem coin" and asking folks to donate and join the community Gunn utilized his social media to get the word out before anyone spends a dime that neither he nor Ozu knows what the site's about or has any affiliation with it Here's a look at a screencap of what Gunn posted regarding the site in question making it clear that neither he nor Ozu knows what it's about or is affiliated with it We're not including the link or title or anything like that since the site doesn't deserve the free publicity: Here's a look at what Gunn had to share during the first hour of Puppy Bowl XXI: And now some inspirational words from James Gunn and Ozu 🦸 #PuppyBowl @Superman pic.twitter.com/wtY5iLUQur — Animal Planet (@AnimalPlanet) February 9, 2025 This website uses cookies to improve and promote our services. By continuing to use this website you are agreeing to our Cookie policy. The Cinematheque offers something of a mea culpa in advance of its latest return to the work of Yasujirō Ozu The rep theatre skipped on last year’s global 120th-year celebration of the great filmmaker’s birth (and the 60th anniversary of his death) it also closes 2024 with an appeal to view Ozu with new eyes the English translation of Hasumi Shiguéhiko’s Directed by Yasujirō Ozu which overturns conventional Western thinking on the subject and its critical focus on minimalism and austerity Shiguéhiko returns to what is contained inside the frame The West has been on a dogged course of self-criticism in recent years and it’s a uniquely pregnant moment to charge that we’ve perhaps misunderstood “the most Japanese of filmmakers” it’s an intellectual challenge we can choose or not choose to take while any occasion to screen these 10 films there are three nights given to his most well-known and arguably greatest film Tokyo Story retains a near mystical power to move the viewer with its glancing tale of two elderly parents visiting their adult children in the big city what they encounter is a world “too busy” to receive them.  The filmmaker’s visual idiosyncrasies are all there—the static camera the polite intercutting between characters is the persistent smile upholding social convention especially as worn by Ozu regular Chishū Ryū as the father It hovers over dialogue loaded with anguish In a devastating moment when Shūkichi and wife Tomi find themselves scrambling for a place to stay intent on not burdening their own offspring Ozu 121 is concerned with the director’s post-war period and offers a handful of offbeat and “non-canon” works like 1948’s brutal melodrama A Hen in the Wind in which a woman turns to prostitution while she waits for her husband’s demobilization The film is declared by Shiguéhiko as “one of the most important films in Ozu’s entire body of work” but it was initially met with consternation by Western critics and viewers Revisiting his first ever essay on Ozu for Film Comment Jonathan Rosenbaum now concedes: “I’ve subsequently come to value Hen in the Wind much more than I did in 1972 above all as an expression of Japanese humiliation after the end of the war and during the American occupation.” Closer to the core is Ozu’s penultimate feature which is distinguished as the only film he ever made for Toho studios but is otherwise a precious example of the filmmaker’s delicate weave of humour and pathos Shot in colour and coming to The Cinematheque in 35mm The End of Summer concerns itself with the various romantic pursuits of a family headed by the incorrigible patriarch who has lately taken to secretly calling on an old flame—even if it means leaving his grandson in a solo game of hide and seek while he sneaks off for another illicit visit the surface is barely a tremor and the subterranean emotions enormous we see a tall crematorium chimney belching smoke It’s as if a soul’s departure has been rendered visible and it’s moving beyond words.    Adrian Mack writes about popular culture from his impregnable compound on Salt Spring Island Nobody Against Putin takes an urgent look at Russian indoctrination; Spare My Bones border; Eight Postcards From Utopia runs weird commercials from free-market Romania; and more Vancouver director interweaves archival footage and mesmerizing music in tribute to late Punjabi-Black artist Montreal filmmaker Denis Côté started out making a portrait of a shy BDSM worker and ended up capturing a generation’s encounter with the endless recursions of social media Lyana Patrick chronicles the environmental harm caused by the Kenney Dam A panel discussion with workers and community advocates takes place after the VIFF Centre screening Mareya Shot Keetha Goal: Make the Shot won a spot as best B.C plus much more as Surrey-based event hands out cash and development support Moving from architectural marvel to frozen cabin the film mixes bitter humour with a poetic fugue fuelled by familial trauma Vancouver director Ben Immanuel drew from his acting students’ real experiences to craft a funny and poignant collaborative film that was years in the making and a tribute to Tracey Friesen and free screenings on National Canadian Film Day New paraDOXA initiative will highlight experimental films like To Use a Mountain Director Mahesh Pailoor and producer Asit Vyas tell the impactful true story of a young man diagnosed with terminal cancer a Palestinian matriarch uses food for generational healing while Saints and Warriors follows a Haida basketball team Event presented by SFU School for the Contemporary Arts features a screening of In the Garden of Forking Paths First-time film actor Keira Jang takes a leading role in Vancouver director Ann Marie Fleming’s dark “satire” about a bucolic post-collapse future that comes with a catch Stunning cinematography and a compelling story make documentary about freediver Jessea Lu a breathless watch Nanos Valaoritis’s memories of a long life in poetry are like a museum you never want to leave Sepideh Yadegar’s film tells the story of an Iranian international student photographed at a Women The series presents 14 titles by the master of nonfiction film Housewife of the Year unpacks a long-running Irish TV show while There’s Still Tomorrow follows a working-class Italian woman in the 1940s Director Sepideh Yadegar’s debut feature follows Iranian international student Sahar as she stands up for women’s rights in Vancouver Email us at hello@createastir.ca and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations What is Stir?Support StirDiversity & InclusionAdvertisingRSS FEED Legal | Site Credits We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada Ebert had a stunning and almost encyclopaedic-like knowledge of cinema regardless of its origin and frequently delved into the best films of Japan when thinking of the great movie directors of Japan we immediately think of Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki but alongside these two Japanese film icons there is certainly a place for the legendary Yasujirō Ozu a filmmaker who Ebert had been regularly blown away by Many of Ozu’s films explore the nature of the Japanese nuclear family and its relative decline throughout the 20th century Some of his most famous works were Late Spring but it was another film that captured Ebert’s attention to the greatest extent Writing in 1991 about the greatest movies of all time Ebert wondered whether many of his readers might have even heard of Ozu at all who lived from 1903 to 1963 and whose prolific career bridged the silent and sound eras [and] saw things through his films in a way that no one else saw.” a “completely alternative cinematic language.” Indeed there was a special quality to Ozu’s work in how he often placed his camera in one position and then allowed his actors to detail some of the most beautifully touching and emotionally charged moments in the history of Japanese cinema Ozu’s 1959 drama Floating Weeds is at the top of his filmography The movie is a remake of Ozu’s black-and-white silent film A Story of Floating Weeds It focuses on the head of a Japanese theatre troupe who returns to the town where he left behind a son who thinks he is his uncle and tries to repair their relationship despite the jealousy of his new mistress “Ozu weaves an atmosphere of peaceful tranquillity of music and processions and leisurely conversations which cause people to discover their true natures.” The entire film is done with “hypnotic visual beauty” Floating Weeds had only been available for many years in a “shabby beaten-up version” usually known as Drifting Weeds but technology of the late 20th century allowed it to be restored on “superb” new formats the likes of which have even been bettered in HD and 4K iterations Still, regardless of the version of Floating Weeds, Ebert thinks there is a simple beauty to it, which could be said of many of Ozu’s stunning dramas. When the Criterion Collection version of the film was released Ebert had provided an alternate audio commentary track While the likes of Tokyo Story and Late Spring often take the limelight when it comes to Yasujirō Ozu’s best movies Film Review 80th Anniversary Announcement We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively None too close to the outside.\u201D - The Aviator (2004) A widower from Tokyo travels to England’s Lake District to honour his late wife’s wishes Dickinson's effort never approaches that achievement despite both films starring Japanese players In Cottontail the central figure is a widower and the story starts in Tokyo where we see Kenzaburo remembering his late wife and revisiting the establishment where he and Akiko had eaten together on their very first meeting We share his memories through a flashback in which the couple-to-be are played by Kosei Kudo and Yuri Tsunematsu We will see more of their life together later but the main narrative moves forward to reveal that Akiko had left a letter with a local abbot expressing a wish that not only Kenzaburo but also his son Toshi (Ryô Nishikido) and Toshi's wife Satsuki (Rin Takanashi) feel compelled to respect It might have seemed that Akiko’s desire expressed in that letter – namely to have her ashes taken to England to be scattered at Lake Windermere – was too unlikely to fit neatly with the realism of a film indebted to Ozu but Dickinson’s screenplay makes it believable We learn that in the 1960s when only a young child Akiko had been taken on holiday to the Lake District and had loved it That the memory should have taken hold so strongly is linked to the fact that forever afterwards Akiko had been a passionate admirer of the books of the area’s local author Beatrix Potter Potter’s worldwide popularity makes this entirely persuasive and of course the film’s title itself provides a further link to Potter There is another fact too that renders Akiko’s request convincing for one senses that she is aware of father and son having become distant and a trip abroad by the two of them could be a means of bringing them closer together again in the event Kenzaburo will set off not only with his son and daughter-in-law but also with Emi (Hanii Hashimoto) his young granddaughter. Although the flashbacks will continue and lengthen as they depict the past including the train of events after Akiko was diagnosed with cancer the time spent in England is now central to the narrative (when together the family speak in Japanese with their words duly subtitled but Kenzaburo a struggling novelist who had once been a teacher of English is able to communicate in that language with those he encounters en route to the Lake District) As the story develops two problems start to emerge both deriving from the screenplay and not due in any way to any failings on the part of the cast One of them resides in Dickinson falling short in depicting more fully and clearly what drew father and son apart and equally in not exploring in sufficient detail the character of Satsuki Since a key element in Cottontail is the greater rapport that emerges when the family talk sufficiently for secrets to be shared at last the lack of deeper characterisations of Toshi and Satsuki becomes a definite weakness But even more serious is the other problem that emerges Ozu was famous for avoiding artificial plot lines and rooting his family tales in daily life Just how incapable Kenzaburo is due to grief or dementia or to both is left vague but in any case the way in which he is able to break away from London on his own and to travel north until he reaches Lake Windermere carries no conviction at all then he finds a handy bike to ride and after that he walks into the rural home of a farmer named John (Ciarán Hinds) and his daughter Mary (Aoife Hinds who is indeed the daughter of Ciarán Hinds) Excused by the fact that John like Kenzaburo is a widower these two don't hand over their chance visitor so that the authorities can provide help but instead drive him the hundred miles to Lake Windermere themselves Once there he is joined by the family who have now been summoned from London but there is fresh drama in that the old photograph recording Akiko's childhood visit fails to identify the spot on the lake where it was taken Can they somehow chance on that very place before they must go back Franky is not in the same class as Kôji Yakusho the exceptional lead actor in Perfect Days but even so he gives a good performance in the central role and Dickinson clearly does want to pay genuine tribute to Japanese cinema ultimately there is a gulf between the tale that this would have been if treated realistically as serious cinema and the fanciful fictional tale that it ends up being but for some painful scenes around Akiko's cancer will welcome Cottontail as popular drama of the kind in which some exaggeration is part of the brand On that level Cottontail is not badly done but I doubt that many admirers of Ozu – of whom I am one – will account this film a success.MANSEL STIMPSONCast: Lily Franky Carolyn Marks Blackwood and Hélène Théodoly Costumes Mari Miyamoto and Ella-Louise Gaskell Magnolia Mae Films/Brouhaha Entertainment/MBK Productions/Office Shirous/Written Rock Films/West End Films-Day For Night.94 mins FilmReviewDaily@gmail.com © 2015 - 2025 FILM REVIEW. All rights reserved. Privacy Notice This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Superman’s canine friend Krypto will make his movie debut in the 2025 blockbuster I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Director James Gunn has revealed the first look at Krypto the Superdog, who will feature in the upcoming Superman film The new film, which is simply called Superman will star David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, who has admitted that he “didn’t feel great” after bulking up for the role It was confirmed by DC Comics writer Mark Waid in September that Krypto would be appearing in the new film but few could have guessed that the character would be based on Gunn’s own rescue dog Gunn shared the first image of Krypto in the film which sees the dog sitting on the Moon with Superman as they gaze down at the Earth which is a homage to a panel from the acclaimed comic book All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison Expanding on the decision to include Krypto in the film Gunn wrote: “Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman.” who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings was problematic to say the least,” added the 58-year-old Gunn said: “He immediately came in & destroyed our home It took a long time before he would even let us touch him how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’ - and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life.” The Suicide Squad director said: “What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month Fans were left moved by Gunn’s story about Ozu One wrote: “This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard oh my god.” If you sign up to this service we will earn commission This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent Another said: “I have a feeling this movie is going to be special and the start of something incredible.” Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini added: “Adopting a dog And I love that Gunn is infusing Krypto with some of his own dog When I drew Krypto in a Superman story a few years back he basically was just a white version of my brown dog Krypto has been in DC Comics since his debut in 1955 and has similar powers to Superman but barring animated outings he is yet to feature in a live action movie. Dogs based on the character have appeared in both Smallville and the Superman & Lois TV shows. The film is set to be released on 11 July, 2025 with the rest of the cast featuring Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Wendell Pierce as Perry White. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies revealing the floofy-eared Krypto sitting next to David Corenswet’s Man of Steel—as well as Gunn’s own (cinematically named) Ozu Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer. Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman. Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He… pic.twitter.com/zw8rVqv0n0 — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 15, 2024 “Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer,” Gunn wrote in the post who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman He immediately came in & destroyed our home how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’—and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month Based on what we know about the plot of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow which will follow Superman on the DC Studios cinematic slate Krypto will be sticking around after his big-screen introduction in Gunn’s upcoming release with Milly Alcock’s Supergirl being driven to action after the movie’s villain (played by Matthew Schoenaerts and thought to be comic book villain Krem of the Yellow Hills) harms the four-legged superhero Krypto first made his debut in comics pages back in 1955 and has since appeared in projects like TV’s Smallville and Titans and 2022’s DC’s League of Super-Pets an animated film that saw him voiced by Dwayne Johnson Superman will mark his live-action big-screen debut—giving this summer’s canine superhero breakout, Deadpool & Wolverine‘s instant Marvel icon Dogpool some serious competition in the cuteness realm recognized every October—though Gunn and Ozu would surely agree that any month is a good month to adopt a furry friend Just be sure to put your laptop and any other valuable electronics out of reach 2025; Supergirl arrives in theaters June 26 ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Gunn explained that this version of Krypto takes influence from his own rescue dog who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman,” says the filmmaker how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’ – and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life.” He also confirmed: “Btw Along with a video-formatted image of Corenswet’s Supes with Krypto by his side Gunn shared an image of Superman and Krypto on the moon from Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman run – which the writer-director has confirmed as a major influence on his film and there's a shot of Gunn and Ozu too Just how good a boy will Krypto ultimately be How does he fit into Gunn’s vision for Superman And is the hierarchy of power in the DCU about to change We’ll find out when Superman hits cinemas on 11 July Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer. Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman. Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He… pic.twitter.com/zw8rVqv0n0 Krypto first emerged in the comics as Superboy’s loyal Kryptonian pooch in the Silver Age of comics And he has come to symbolize a certain era of Superman comics Superman’s loyal pet weaved in and out of continuity over the years he always finds his way back to his loving master and your standard pets that looked just like Earth animals When Superman’s father Jor-El must test his son’s rocket to Earth the Soviet dog who was the first animal in space and he doesn’t arrive on Earth until Kal-El is a teenager in Smallville Krypto has all the same powers under Earth’s yellow sun as Kal-El does his super hearing and smell is actually superior so he’s not going around killing cats with his heat vision we are privy to Krypto’s thought balloons and he clearly has human-level intelligence Wearing a little red cape attached to his collar he posed as “Skip,” the Kent family dog Although he seems way too comfortable calling Kal-El “master” given the circumstances But the readers of the time loved these cute little animals with superpowers And it would stay that way for the better part of two decades But when Superman escapes this false reality He sticks around as Superman and Lois Lane’s super pet Thus, Krypto returned to DC continuity, this time without human intelligence like his Silver Age counterpart. He was a dog with powers who needed training, leading to all kinds of comedic moments. Readers welcomed Krypto 2.0, who went on to become the Conner Kent Superboy’s loyal dog Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Superman: Secret Origin in 2009 restored his classic origin into the main continuity Krypto was once again Kal-El’s pet from Krypton who landed on Earth years after he did The New 52 reboot removed Krypto from the main continuity again in 2011 (except in flashbacks to Krypton) We’re delighted you're perusing our site for all your nerdy news We'd wholeheartedly appreciate you enabling ads to keep this content free Shueisha's vertical-scrolling manga service Jump TOON launched science-fiction writer Yuba Isukari and illustrator Ozu's new manga titled Nuno Sanpo with five chapters on Tuesday Ozu handles the layout and draws the manga and Michiru Matsumoto is in charge of drawing the "space artifacts" and coloring a junior high school girl who loves inventions and who meets a space creature named Nuno Sanpo gets involved with Nuno's search for "space artifacts," super technology from space that are scattered around Earth These "space artifacts," which are believed to be able to destroy Earth with a single switch start to cause trouble in Sanpo's daily life With Sanpo's tech skills and Nuno's knowledge the two take on these "space artifact" incidents Kadokawa published the sequel novel Yokohama Station SF National in Japan in 2017, and Yen Press also released the novel in English Source: Jump TOON Ehime — The city of Ozu in Ehime Prefecture which retains the atmosphere of a castle town from the Edo period (1603-1867) is becoming a popular destination for foreign visitors due to the conversion of old traditional houses into hotels and other facilities please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Katsuhiro Sumida / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer the question of how Ozu should maintain the old traditional houses that form the townscape has become an issue The city established a system to subsidize house renovation costs to protect the townscape but has found many cases of people who inherited houses from their parents or others struggling to manage the property as they live outside the prefecture “The issue can’t be fully solved with conventional measures,” said Hajime Muranaka of the city’s urban development division “We felt that we would not be able to protect the townscape unless we found a way to do so without placing the burden on homeowners.” a local bank and other parties held a series of study sessions and established the general incorporated association Kita Management in 2018 Kita Management was set up as a destination management/marketing organization (DMO) to handle the renovation of old traditional houses an affiliate of the association involved in revitalization projects signs a 15-year lease contract with the owner of the old houses and renovates them The houses are then leased to a hotel management company There is no financial burden on the homeowners as they receive a rental payment equivalent to the amount of their property taxes They will also have the houses returned after 15 years this is a system of preserving the landscape through tourism,” said Yosuke Inoue “Good properties would have been torn down if the start of the project had been delayed by even a year.” The hotel’s target demographic is wealthy visitors from Europe The rooms in the houses were furnished in a refined Japanese style with marks on a pillar made by carpenters and graffiti from the Edo period left intact to let guests experience the atmosphere of the old times with their 31 rooms being used as “decentralized hotels.” The front desk and dining areas were installed in other facilities so hotel guests would walk around the town creating a bustling atmosphere in the area The number of foreign visitors to the city almost doubled in fiscal 2023 from about 12,000 in fiscal 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic A tour that demonstrates the process of renovating the old Japanese houses particularly appeals to tourists explained to a tour group that old houses in Ozu have tokonoma alcoves and other important features on the second floor since the city is prone to river floods was showing the group a house that still contained household items and told the group that people lived with nature in the past She wants visitors to know the story behind the beautiful tourist photos Kita Management presents their work at residents’ study sessions and at elementary the efforts earned the top spot in the Culture and Tradition category of the Green Destinations Story Awards by a Netherlands-based certification organization “I think residents’ awareness has changed as well [because of these developments],” Inoue said adding that more people had begun to ask him if they can do anything in the city Inoue hopes to create a virtuous cycle in which the appeal of the city is enhanced and residents regain their pride Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Two indispensable Ozu films receive a noteworthy upgrade from Criterion Ozu Yasujirô regularly returned to core themes running through his work from different angles and toward the end of his life he even made remakes of some of his earlier silent pictures 1959’s Floating Weeds is perhaps the most closely faithful to the plot of its predecessor Both A Story of Floating Weeds and Floating Weeds follow a traveling troupe of actors as they arrive in a seaside town to perform their kabuki plays the leader of the group checks up on an old mistress and much to the jealously of his current one who in turn hatches a scheme to have a colleague seduce and dump the man’s adult son Further complicating matters is the fact that the son doesn’t even know that the troupe’s leader is his father But as closely as the plot of Floating Weeds hews to that of its progenitor the tonal differences between the films are striking Some of this can be attributed to changing mores particularly in how forthright A Story of Floating Weeds is about the sexual improprieties of the troupe compared to the far more circumspect censorious approach that Floating Weeds takes to the subject matter not only the troupe’s leader but the other actors break off for the sake of amorous pursuits with locals made during a time when Ozu’s work was renowned for its minimalist aesthetic and emotional displays and stone-faced drama is considerably more comical than the silent version which was produced when the director tended to make gangster movies and slapstick farces is one of the first of Ozu’s silent pictures to explicitly point the way toward his later foregrounding the somber relationship between a father and the son who he only half-acknowledges rather than taking a larger view of the group’s individual and collective adventures Early examples of Ozu’s mastery of unorthodox dramatic intensity can be found throughout as in a scene of the two men going fishing as the father Ozu films the men from a shot placed just above the water in which they stand their immobile feet and separation from one another in the frame communicating the emotional gulf between them if Floating Weeds initially takes a more ribald approach to its narrative it gradually asserts a melancholy in how its depiction of theater differs from its predecessor A Story of Floating Weeds depicts the work that goes into mounting the troupe’s kabuki performances from the set construction to application of theatrical makeup Even as Ozu captures the tedious labor that goes into entertainment there’s also a palpable appreciation for that toil focuses more on the broader sense of dejection that the group feels at seeing the dwindling crowds that greet their traditional art The characters in the silent version may have fallen into idle gossip during moments of boredom but still cared about their work while their counterparts in the sound film are so worn down by unappreciative audiences that they turn to petty theft or quit the troupe altogether to get away from a sinking ship with the father leaving both the group and his son but it’s Floating Weeds that emanates a greater sense of defeat but Miyagawa Kazuo’s cinematography gradually loses its chromatic intensity as backdrops become drabber and the bright objects that once dotted frames disappear from view It’s the equivalent of watching someone bleed out the redness in their face slowly draining into an ashen white Ozu’s funniest late-period film becomes one of his most haunting Criterion’s Blu-ray sports new transfers of both films with the one for Floating Weeds sourced from Kadokawa’s 4K restoration the 1959 film looks vastly improved from Criterion’s 20-year-old DVD; details are sharper throughout and the colors radiate more strongly even as the overall look trends darker and looks more film-like One suspects the original DVD was slightly boosted to account for the softer color definition of the SD transfer The mono soundtrack doesn’t sound especially fuller for being offered in a lossless format and Saitô Kojun’s gentle score all sound well-balanced and a bit cleaner than they did on the old DVD A Story of Floating Weeds has clearly not received a restoration; numerous instances of debris and scratches abound this is a clear upgrade over the previous transfer with more stable contrast and sharper textures in spite of the softness of the backgrounds Donald Sosin’s piano score is crystal clear each subtle timbre of the notes coming through in the spacious 5.1 mix Criterion ports over the commentary for A Story of Floating Weeds by film historian Donald Richie and the one for Floating Weeds by Roger Ebert Each critic brings a wealth of information Richie brings his decades-long study of Japanese cinema and Ozu to bear on mapping out the technical aspects and subtextual intimations of each shot while Ebert offers a more big-picture analysis wrestling with Ozu’s themes and other work while also engaging in the kind of aesthetic close reading that he rarely got to indulge on the page The disc also comes with a booklet essay by Richie that delineates the two films’ unique approaches to the same material and what their different perspectives communicate about where Ozu was at two points in life Two indispensable Ozu Yasujirô films receive a noteworthy upgrade from Criterion Jake Cole is an Atlanta-based film critic whose work has appeared in MTV News and Little White Lies He is a member of the Atlanta Film Critics Circle and the Online Film Critics Society document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a42a4923cfea9f4ffbbf290aa4a99161" );document.getElementById("facec42938").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Ehime Prefecture—The traditional cormorant fishing season started on the Hijikawa river here on June 1 entertaining spectators who gathered to watch the trained seabirds catch fish in the night “More and more people say they have been looking forward to the opening of the season,” said cormorant fisherman Toshikazu Inoue Some 120 people on 14 boats witnessed the season’s first catch under the torchlight of the fishermen’s boats According to the local tourism association the Hijikawa river is one of the most popular spots to watch cormorant fishing in the country along with the Nagaragawa river in Gifu Prefecture and the Mikumagawa river in Oita Prefecture only on the Hijikawa river can spectators take a cruise that runs alongside the cormorant fishermen’s boats providing an immersive experience of the traditional art Visitors can also enjoy a 2.7-kilometer leisurely boat ride down the river Cormorant fishing in Ozu dates to the Edo Period (1603-1867) the tradition declined for a time before being revived as a tourist attraction in 1957 the event attracted around 28,000 visitors annually a devastating flood caused severe damage along the river forcing the temporary suspension of the tradition The COVID-19 pandemic further impacted the event with the number of visitors in 2021 plummeting to just 643 organizers are aiming to attract more than 4,000 visitors This season’s opening ceremony was held near a new levee built after the flood under a government disaster-countermeasure project The cormorant fishing season on the river runs until Sept Tickets for the cormorant fishing watching cruise are 4,000 yen ($25) for adults and junior high school students, and 3,000 yen for children aged 4 or older. For more information, visit the event’s official site at https://ozuukai.com/ Gifu cormorant fishing viewing boats back to normal May 11 Spectator boat for cormorant fishing runs aground; 2 hurt　 Fishing practice using untethered cormorants makes comeback Summer hopes being dashed with surge in new virus cases Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission A community leader in Ozu village in Ndiukwuenu has countered the claims by some group of protesters recently at the Government House Awka that their farm lands in “Mamu River Forest Reserve” are being sold out and their crops and economic trees on the lands destroyed by some individuals in Ozu village in collaboration with the Anambra State Commissioner for Lands who said that he is the current authentic Chairman of Ozu village explained that the lands being sold at ”Mamu River Forest Reserve” are the individuals’ plots which they got as their own share from the compensatory plots given to the village by Anambra State government which all the villagers are entitled to share from saying that the protesters are made-up of people who mean no good for the community He further told ABS that the compensatory plots given to the village and its sharing was duly announced to the villagers severally and wondered why some group of persons will later gang up and be causing problem in the community Chief Nweke disclosed that part of the compensatory plots is still remaining for members of the village who are yet to get their own share calling on such persons to come forward and take their own plots; instead of fomenting trouble and dragging the name of the village to the mud Few directors have so profoundly impacted me as Yasujiro Ozu While my adolescent self was perplexed by his films’ unconventional approach (the leisurely pace the absence of “dramatic highs” other stories take for granted with adulthood came an appreciation for their technique and understanding of the joys and sorrows that permeate ordinary human life Cinema has long attracted me with the promise of learning something about the world and in Ozu’s quiet dramas about the dissolution of families I found honest reflection of what people everywhere—regardless of race or culture—think and feel (I’ll never forget my first viewing of 1942’s There Was a Father and how the behavior of its protagonist after watching his parent die mirrored mine in a similar moment of loss My reaction upon seeing my grandfather lifeless in a hospital bed just weeks earlier was the same: the quiet realization I’d never again speak with someone I’d always known a slow retreat—then the tears came.) To paraphrase film critic Stanley Kauffmann the definition of Ozu’s appeal isn’t how much we know about him but how much he knew about us With 2023 marking the sixtieth anniversary of Ozu’s death (and the one hundred and twentieth of his birth) I dedicated a sizable portion of a recent Japan trip to this director I traversed to the shitamachi town of Fukagawa where Ozu was born and spent part of his youth and early adult life There I attended an exhibit at the Koto City Furuishiba Culture Center and learned of the local Ozu Bridge which was promptly tracked down after leaving the museum A later date found me at the seaside community of Atami—admittedly to see the castle smashed by King Kong and Godzilla in their famous 1962 tussle but also with the hope I could find where Ozu filmed the “sea wall” scene in Tokyo Story (1953) much has changed in seventy years (the wall is gone and the background peninsula’s crowded with buildings) but I managed to find roughly the spot where Chishu Ryu and Chieko Higashiyama gazed at the water and decided it was time to return home Another highlight occurred when a friend of a friend informed me of an exhibit at Yokohama’s Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature The next day I was on the shinkansen and delighted in seeing not only scripts and personal belongings of Ozu’s (plus home movie footage of him!) but equipment used on his last few films: the Mitchell camera that filmed his impeccable images the custom-made stopwatch (designed to simultaneously measured seconds and celluloid frames) used to time scenes My only regret regarding this Yokohama excursion is that I missed the chance to see the great actress Mariko Okada who was to speak at the museum the day I flew home was visiting the temple Engaku in Kamakura—where Ozu’s buried alongside his mother I knew not where to look upon entering the temple cemetery only that their gravestone was marked by the kanji character 無 (mu—“nothingness”) So I wandered amid the tombstones (the only person around minus a groundskeeper) until finally I located the grave Smiling at the sight of the alochol-loving director’s tomb stocked with liquor bottles I placed some coins on the stone before offering a few words Ozu once confided to cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta his suspicion that foreigners wouldn’t think much of his movies; quietly I informed him how wrong he’d been—that I wish he’d lived to see the impact his movies have had around the world he’d known of rave reviews in London for Tokyo Story and surely was aware of film historian Donald Richie’s showing five pictures at the Berlin Film Festival international filmmakers and critics polled by Sight and Sound magazine would vote that same movie the greatest of all time A final (somewhat amusing) anecdote. While riding the train back to Tokyo, I learned Engaku is also the resting place of other Japanese film legends such as Akira Kurosawa and Mikio Naruse and—I was told later still—Keisuke Kinoshita I hope to pay my respects at each of their graves on my next trip to the Land of the Rising Sun All our content is free to read; if you want to subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 2/1/2025) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 2/1/2025) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Our Culture Mag Limited Today, now that 120 years have passed since Ozu Yasujirō’s birth and 60 years since his death the time seems right to examine the renowned filmmaker’s life Interviews with members of his family uncover little-known aspects of the Japanese director’s personality and provide fresh insights into his cinematic creations explores the everyday life of the renowned director—his uncle—going beyond his fame The director was like a paternal figure to him—a beloved family man who also captured the Japan of his time on celluloid memories of her uncle go back to her earliest years Growing up with Ozu takes us back to the lively Shōwa period (1926–89) a turbulent era in Japanese history that also marked a turning point in the cinematic art world in a working-class riverside neighborhood in Tokyo he spent his childhood in the capital with his mother Asae and his older brother Shin’ichi at the time used as a fertilizer for the fields In 1913 the family left the capital for Matsusaka his father’s hometown in Mie Prefecture he would sneak off to the first movie theaters to enjoy American silent films he disobeyed his father’s wishes that he attend university and instead worked as a substitute teacher in a rural school where he decided to try his luck in the film industry Although he did not come from a family of artists his nephew Nagai Hideyuki believes that he was “born at a good time” and that his vocation was the result of the era in which he lived his life was not without its difficulties either He entered the Sōchiku Studio aiming to work as a director but was forced to put in his time as an assistant director first “He put a lot of effort into his work,” says Nagai his efforts resulted in more than 50 films from a silent film debut with Zange no yaiba (Sword of Penitence Nagai Hideyuki participated in the Ozu Yasujirō Memorial Film Festival held in Tateshina His nephew and niece remember him as kind and funny and the vision he had of childhood was reflected in the language of his films Ozu’s younger sister and the third in the family was widowed at a young age; “Yasujirō was a great support to her,” Nagai recalls Ozu Akiko confirms what her older cousin says and her first memory of her uncle dates back to shortly after World War II Akiko recalls that her uncle returned from Singapore in February 1946 He went straight to his neighborhood in search of his mother but she had left Tokyo after the Great Tokyo Air Raid of March 10 and was now living with her daughter in Noda a farming town in Chiba Prefecture two hours by train from the capital Ozu was told where to find them and after spending the night in Tokyo Ozu spent the early postwar years in this town with the extended family they would gather around a bottle of sake to chat Little Akiko would often curl up on her uncle’s knees like a cat He would dip his finger in the sake and make her taste it as a game: “He behaved like a mischievous child Ozu played a significant role in the lives of the younger members of the family especially Nagai: “His principles in life were not to bother others and not to tell lies He had great morals and taught me many things but perhaps those were the most important.” As a young man, Nagai recalls, his uncle would invite him to go out and drink together. “We talked a lot. He’d recommend books to me. Natsume Sōseki Also movies that I didn’t understand very well.” As a 19-year-old college student Nagai visited him numerous times in what would be Ozu’s last creative haven Ozu Akiko at the Mugeisō villa in Tateshina Ozu was in the habit of writing down the names and addresses of the restaurants he frequented in Tokyo in a collection that he himself baptized as his “Gourmet Notebooks.” This practice may suggest a hedonistic indulgence but it could not be any farther from the truth had another experience: one in which they enjoyed typical Japanese dishes in popular neighborhoods of the capital or in Kamakura Traveling throughout Tokyo, either by train or in a car of a friend of the director, the uncle and nephew embarked on a quest to a celebrated eel restaurant in Tokyo’s northern Kitasenjū district, indulging in a dish believed to increase longevity in Japan. On other occasions they would seek out a delicious tonkatsu at Hōraiya a restaurant located in the bustling Okachimachi neighborhood where a colleague and fellow director Ozu would mention these juicy breaded pork fillets in Akibiyori (Late Autumn Ozu was a regular at a sushi restaurant near Kamakura Station “he drank more than he ate.” It is widely known that Ozu was fond of sake particularly if the drinking was in good company What he liked was to get together with people “I think he was able to do everything he did because he was single,” Nagai responds to the question of why the filmmaker never married a recurring inquiry in the media for years But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have affairs Different women also played a fundamental role in his life and work Asae’s maternal figure played a significant role in the creator’s life a close relationship that lasted until the end of his days Mother and son lived under the same roof most of the time and died barely a year apart There were other family circumstances as well Ozu soon witnessed the complex relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law the eldest son was responsible for the care of his parents but it was Yasujirō who closely watched over his mother and Asae devoted body and soul to his recovery something for which the filmmaker remained deeply grateful the rest of his life Ozu Akiko also believes that although his uncle liked to be around people “but he was incapable of declaring his love and in the meantime others would go ahead of him.” On the professional side, meanwhile, “Ozu did not like to establish personal relationships with actresses,” says Nagai. Toward the end of his years he had a close relationship with Murakami Shigeko, an accordionist who enlivened a scene in Tokyo Story “She was a very dear person,” the nephew recalls of this late love Ozu Akiko talks about her uncle at an event alongside Yamashita Kazuko at the Ozu Yasujirō Memorial Film Festival in Tateshina in 2023 The actress Hara Setsuko is the female figure most associated with the director The actress starred in the trilogy of the ungovernable Noriko—the 1949 Late Spring and the 1953 Tokyo Story—immortalizing actress and director together in the history of cinema there were rumors of a possible romantic relationship between the actress and the director but “he respected her very much and never had any intention of marrying her They were both film professionals,” explains Nagai sparking new rumors and fueling a mystery that no one has managed to solve She withdrew from the spotlight and refused to grant any interviews the answer is simple: “Hara loved working with Ozu because he brought out the best in her.” The two were 12 years apart older for the film industry,” he clarifies and she retired because she didn’t want to be in inferior movies the actress was ahead of her time and had a significant impact in a male-dominated industry but she was very good and had her own merit.” Nagai’s critique addresses the past and current film industry when the actress passed away at the age of 95 Nagai lamented the poor media coverage in Japan compared to the international attention she received There were anecdotes with other great Japanese filmmakers. “Kurosawa Akira felt sympathy for Ozu telling him that he had liked Tokyo Story very much,” recalls the nephew The film also resonated with the director Yamada Yōji who would go to Kurosawa’s house to revisit the film together Yamada released Tokyo kazoku (Tokyo Family) “he was humble and didn’t act in a pretentious manner He was considerate and kind.” That’s how Nagai would like him to be remembered “although he also liked dirty jokes,” he jests and the numerous awards he received in Japan did not affect his work his last years composing scripts in the middle of a forest in Tateshina were a very good period “He was a man of his often tough era who did not mind living in the wilderness and experiencing its harshness.” followed a cycle of creation and rest at a villa located in the mountains of Nagano Even though these landscapes were never seen in his work “Tateshina was always in his heart.“ Nagai Hideyuki talks about his uncle during a film presentation at the Ozu Yasujirō Memorial Film Festival Nagai’s final memory with his uncle in Tateshina goes back to 1963 when for the first time a television set arrived in Unkosō a nearby villa owned by the screenwriter Noda “We all watched the public channel together on this small TV.” Ozu Akiko also participates every year in the Tateshina film festival that pays tribute to the creator. Autumn 2023 was no exception, and during the event she visited Mugeisō, the director’s last working villa. Red spider lilies bloom in the garden—a flower that the filmmaker particularly liked The same intense red was featured in his color films and the flower’s Japanese name even became the title of a 1958 film His niece Akiko believes that the key lies in a diary entry dated September 25 That day Ozu was traveling from his grandmother’s house to Hisai Station in Tsu also known as “equinox flower,” evokes lost memories in Japan It was Akiko’s idea to bring higanbana to Ozu’s last creative haven so they can burst into red every year when autumn arrives Nagai Hideyuki (center second row) and Ozu Akiko (second from right front row) during a group photo of participants at the Ozu Yasujirō Memorial Film Festival at Tateshina in September 2023 Banner photo: Ozu Yasujirō's nephew and niece healing onsen waters and quintessential Japanese accommodations await Ehime and Oita are two of Japan’s best-kept secrets Despite their rich history and natural beauty these prefectures remain delightfully uncrowded making them the perfect destinations for a peaceful escape Famed as the country’s number one citrus-producing region Ehime is beloved for its popular cycling route across the Setouchi Islands Other notable attractions include Matsuyama Castle and the historic Dogo Onsen Oita is cherished for its abundance of hot springs especially the famed Beppu and Yufuin onsen towns Many visitors come to Oita not only for the hot springs but also to experience the rich which include historic spiritual sites located along the Kunisaki Peninsula travelers can reach these two prefectures in one easy trip by catching the Uwajima-Unyu ferries between the ports of Yawatahama and Beppu Start your travels in the iconic Dogo Onsen which was discovered approximately 3,000 years ago and is said to be Japan’s oldest hot spring an egret bathed its injured leg in a pool of onsen water which had sprung from the rocks Locals saw the egret fly away fully healed and tried taking a bath themselves in the same waters discovering afterwards that their ailments and fatigue were cured.  Designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1994 Dogo Onsen completed its conservation and repair works in mid-2024 an exclusive bathing space previously used by the Imperial household.  Travel 1.5 hours from Dogo Onsen to reach the quiet castle town of Ozu Ozu flourished and grew wealthy until the country began to modernize Driven by a sense of urgency to preserve its historical townscape and regional identity local residents joined forces with both public and private sectors leading the effort to restore the once-deteriorated castle to its former glory.  In partnership with the local organization Kita Management and Value Management Group along with several historic buildings and homes have been painstakingly restored into boutique private accommodations This decentralized hotel approach has allowed guests to have a more immersive As they stroll the cobblestone streets from their accommodation to dinner and breakfast served at other restored properties they pass thriving local businesses like a craft beer brewery Perched above the shores of Ozu’s Hiji River Garyu Sanso is a breathtaking testament to the intricate craftsmanship of Japan’s sukiya-zukuri architecture Built upon the vision of the wealthy wax merchant Torajiro Kouchi Guests staying at Ozu Castle itself can enjoy a private breakfast experience here.  A few minutes’ walk away lies Bansenso Villa Brothers Denzaburo and Kunigoro Matsui amassed the family fortune by establishing a trading company and department store in Manila for Japanese expats Their villa is highly regarded as a treasured piece of modern Japanese architecture combining both sukiya-zukuri and shoin-zukuri techniques along with international design features rare for that time such as a balcony and roof tiles embossed with their initials A tea ceremony experience can be organized at Bansenso Renowned for having the highest volume of onsen hot spring waters in all of Japan Beppu greets visitors with billowing steam steadily rising into the air Spend your days discovering the Seven Hells of Beppu Umi Jigoku (sea hell) and Oniishibouzu Jigoku (Hell of the Monk’s Head) otherwise known as “hell steam cooking,” where you cook fresh vegetables meat and seafood using the hot spring steam.  There are plenty of accommodations available to choose from with ANA InterContinental Beppu providing a luxury onsen experience with modern comforts Guests can relax in spacious rooms with wide balconies overlooking Mount Ogi or Beppu Bay —  some fitted with private onsen baths — or simply unwind in the hotel’s large outdoor public onsen and outdoor pool The tranquil Kunisaki Peninsula is home to numerous temples reflecting its deep connection to Rokugo Manzan a local Buddhist culture blending elements of Buddhism Fuki-ji Temple is the oldest wooden structure in Kyushu and one of the three most important Amida Buddha temples To appreciate the serenity of Fuki-ji Temple in its entirety a small onsen ryokan inn run by the wife of Fuki-ji’s head monk hand pulled soba noodles and rejuvenating baths in their public onsen.